Lenhartsville resident semifinalist in Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest

Heidi C. Givler, of Lenhartsville, was recently named as one of the 60 semifinalists in the 46th Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest.

“It’s always been a dream,” said Givler. “Even to get this far is an honor.”

The contest features three categories: Dinners, Breakfasts, and Appetizers and Sweets. Givler has entered the contest previous years and was picked for her “Carrot Cupcakes with Coconut Pecan Frosting” in the Appetizers and Sweets category.

She explained that contestants enter recipes which are then checked by many people before then going through the test kitchen. Recipes must use seven ingredients or fewer and take 30 minutes or less (not including baking or cooling time) of prep time to be eligible. There is also a list of eligible products to use for the recipes.

For the first time, America will determine which of the semifinalist recipes will move on to compete for the grand prize. The 100 finalists (approximately 30 from each category) will compete at the finals, November 10 to 12 at the Area Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The grand prize is one million dollars.

Givler enjoys baking and admitted, “If I didn’t have to work all day, I’d be doing this all day.” She added that her fridge is filled with Pillsbury products at the moment and if she moves on to the final round she will be practicing often to make sure that she can make the cupcakes three times in three hours.

Voting began June 13 and runs until June 27 at noon CST. To vote for Givler and to see the other semifinalist recipes go to http://www.pillsbury.com/BakeOff/SemiFinalist-Recipes/Appetizers-and-Sweets. The participants will find out July 4 if they made it to the next round or not.